Despite Naxal Threat, Chhattisgarh Poll Officers Firm On Executing Duties

Crossing rivers barefoot, wading through jungles just sanitised by the accompanying security personnel and even airdropped by choppers into the Naxal-affected interiors, many on poll duty in Chhattisgarh feel like the real-life version of the protagonist from Bollywood dark comedy "Newton", while some feel more like a revolutionary like Bhagat Singh.

They are public sector undertaking (PSU) employees, teachers, anganwadi and panchayat workers, among numerous others braving the treacherous terrain of the infamous Bastar region, which appear even more dangerous after a recent spurt in Naxal attacks ahead of the polls.

Many Chhattisgarh areas will vote for the first time in 20 years, while some security and local administration officials proudly declare that a few of those are yet to make it to the Google Maps.

Talking to them, the immediate recollection is of Rajkumar Rao-starrer "Newton", a film that took a satirical look at the Naxal problem through the eyes of a poll officer.

Poll officers will have face numerous hurdles and life-threatening challenges, but none of them is complaining. A few of them admit being a bit afraid, but still want to do this.

A 25-year-old anganwadi worker, the mother of two children, from Sukma district, says she is doing this for her father and brother, both of whom were part of the Salwa Judum and killed by Naxals.

Salwa Judum (meaning "Peace March") was a militia deployed as part of anti-insurgency operations in Chhattisgarh, aimed at countering Naxal violence in the region.

The militia, comprising local tribal youth, received training from the Chhattisgarh government. But in 2011 Supreme Court banned it.

"I always wanted to do something revolutionary like my father, so I am doing this for him and my brother. We need peace and hopefully, a successful election will lead to that," the woman, whose husband is in the police and who has left her kids with her mother-in-law, said.

"This is no less than a revolution for me," she added.

For another 22-year-old panchayat worker from Sukma, who has been asked to go to the hypersensitive polling booth at Chintalnar, it is a moment of pride as he will be the first person from his village to sit in a chopper.

"I am the only person from my block panchayat who is taking part in this exercise as my other colleagues are married. Being a bachelor, I was chosen. I am scared, but it is okay as I will be the first person from my village to sit in a chopper," he said with a broad smile on his face.

The poll parties going to the hypersensitive booths on the 80-km stretch from Dornapal to Jagargunda were mostly airlifted and reached their respective destinations a day or two before the polling day, Sukma Collector Jai Prakash Maurya said.

A teacher from Bijapur district who is going to the Usur block on poll duty, said, "I always told my students in the village that you should do something for the country. Now, it is my turn to do something. If you ask me how do I feel, I don't know, but I might be doing something like what Bhagat Singh did."

All the 437 polling booths in Sukma and Bijapur districts have been declared as "sensitive".

Bijapur Collector KB Kunjam said about 80 polling parties were airlifted and 76 relocated to a safer position, but there were still 40-odd booths that were extremely risky.

"Some of the poll officers conveyed to us that some of the polling booths, including those in schools, were painted with messages of boycotting the polls. So, we are making temporary arrangements," he said.

Both Maurya and Kunjam said some of the poll parties were dispatched two days before the polling.

Besides Central Reserve Police Force personnel, Border Security Force and Indo-Tibetan Border Police jawans would accompany them

On the request of the district collectors, the names of the poll officers have not been mentioned.